Sheave and roller assemblies



p 13, 1966 w. N. POUNDSTONE 3,272,543

SHEAVE AND ROLLER ASSEMBLIES Original Filed June 30, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheetl INVENTOR.

WIL LIAM N. POUNDSTONE ATTORNEY p 1966 w. N. POUNDSTONE 3,272,543

SHEAVE AND ROLLER ASSEMBLIES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed June 30,1960 INVENTOR.

WILLIAM N. POUNDSTONE United States Patent 3,272,543 SHEAVE AND RQLLERASSEMBLIES William N. Poundstone, Morgantown, W. Va., assignor toConsolidation Coal Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania Original application June 30, 1960, 581'. No. 39,985, nowPatent No. 3,127,203, dated Mar. 31, 1964. Divided and this applicationAug. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 363,552 4 Claims. (Cl. 28752.07)

This application is a division of my co-pending application SerialNumber 39,985, filed June 30, 1960, now Patent No. 3,127,203, which inturn is a continuationin-part of U8. application Serial Number 766,253,filed October 9, 1958, now abandoned.

This invention relates to sheave and roller assemblies and moreparticularly to sheave and roller assemblies having flexible resilientconnecting means between the outer cylindrical portions and shaftsextending therethrough.

An object of this invention is to provide a sheave assembly having aflexible resilient means frictionally securing the sheave hub portion tothe shaft extending therethrough.

Another object of this invention is to provide a sheave assembly whereinthe flexible resilient connecting means between the sheave hub portionand the shaft includes a pair of annular ring portions adjacent theshaft and operable to be urged toward said shaft to thereby frictionallyengage the same to the sheave hub portion.

A further object of this invention is to provide a sheave assemblyhaving a flexible resilient bushing positioned between the sheave hubportion and the shaft extending therethrough and a means to compress theresilient bushing to frictionally engage the shaft to the sheave hubportion.

Another object of this invention is to provide a roller assembly havinga tubular roller member nonrotatably secured to a shaft extendingtherethrough by flexible resilient bushings positioned between theroller member and the shaft.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved rollerassembly particularly adapted to serve as a tail piece turn-aroundroller for an endless belt conveyor.

A further object of this invention is to provide sheave and rollerassemblies that are simple and economical to manufacture, sturdy inconstruction and easily assembled.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will be morecompletely disclosed and described in the following specification, theaccompanying drawings and the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, to be taken as part of this specification,I have fully and clearly illustrated my invention, in which drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of my sheave assembly with portions cutaway to illustrate the flexible resilient bushing.

FIGURE 2 is a view in end elevation of the sheave assembly illustratedin FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a view in section taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal sectional view, similar to FIGURE 3, of aroller assembly built in accordance with the present invention.

In FIGURE 1, 2 and 3 there is shown a sheave assembly having a wheel orpully 12 with a hub portion 14. A shaft 16 extends through the bore 18in the hub portion 14 and is coaxially secured therein by a flexibleresilient bushing 20.

The pulley 12 has a plurality of peripheral grooves 22 which receive andfrictionally engage V belts 24. Al-

3,272,543 Patented Sept. 13, 1966 though the embodiment illustrated inFIGURES 1, 2 and 3 relates to a V belt sheave, it should be understoodthat the invention is not limited thereto and may be employed in othertypes of flexible couplings as, for example, shown in FIGURE 4 whereinthere is a first rigid member having an internal bore and a second rigidmember having an outer cylindrical surface.

Referring in detail to the wheel or pulley 12 the hub portion 14 has abore 18 therethrough and annular end walls 26. The bore 18 isperipherally cylindrical in shape and has a shaft 16 coaxiallypositioned therein. The shaft 16 has an external cylindrical surface 28and is maintained in coaxial relation with the hub 14 by means of theflexible resilient bushing 20.

The bushing 20 has an internal bore 30 with a substantially cylindricalsurface and an outer cylindrical surface 32. The outer diameter of thebushing 20 is substantially equal to the diameter of the hub bore 18 sothat the bushing 20 may be inserted therein. The: bushing bore 30 has adiameter slightly greater than the diameter of the shaft v16 so that inassembling, the shaft may be easily inserted in the bushing bore 30.

The bushing 20 has a pair of end walls 34 and a longitudinal dimensionslightly greater than the longitudinal dimension of the hub 14. Withthis construction when the bushing 20 is positioned within the hub 14the bushing end Walls 34 extend beyond the hub end walls 26.

The bushing end walls 34 each has an annular ring portion 36 formedthereon adjacent the bushing bore 30. The ring members 36 extendoutwardly beyond the end walls 34 and have an inner diametersubstantially equal to the inner diameter of the bushing bore 30. Therings 36 have an outer tapered surface 38 which is frusto conical inshape and increases in diameter toward the bushing end walls 34. Aplurality of longitudinal passageways 40 extend through the bushing 20in spaced radial relation with the bushing bore 30 and are adapted toreceive bolts 42.

A pair of rigid annular end plates 44 have an outer diameter greaterthan the diameter of the hub bore 18 and a central aperture 46 whichforms an inner wall 48. The wall 48 is tapered and frusto conical inshape and substantially conforms to the shape of the bushing ring outersurface 38. The end plates 44 each has a circular shoulder portion 50adjacent the plate peripheral edge portion. The shoulder portion has asurface 52 extending parallel to the hub bore 18 and has a diametersubstantially equal to that of the hub bore 18. The end plates 44 have aplurality of apertures 54 in spaced radial relation to the centralaperture 46 and a plurality of slots 56 which are spaced substantiallyequidistant between the central aperture 46 and the shoulder portion 50.The slots 56 are also spaced between the plate apertures 54.

The sheave assembly 10 may be assembled as follows. The bushing 20 ispositioned within the sheave hub bore 18 so that the bushing end walls34 extend outwardly be yond the hub end walls 26. The shaft 28 is thenpositioned within the bushing bore 30 as illustrated in FIG- URES 1 and3. End plates 44 are positioned with the shaft 16 extending through theend plate central aperture 46 and the end plate inner surfaces abuttingthe bushing end walls 34. Bolts 42 are then inserted through the alignedend plate apertures 54 and the bushing passageways 40. The bolts 42 havean enlarged head portion 58 which abuts the outer surface of one endplate and a nut 60 is threadedly secured to the other end of the bolt 42and abuts the outer surface of the other end plate. The nuts 60 are thentightened on the bolts 42 to urge end plates 44 toward each other. Theend plate inner tapered wall 48 conforms in contour to the bushing ringouter surface 36 and abuts the same. The end plates 44 are urged towardeach other until the plate shoulder portion 50 abuts the hub end walls26. The shoulder surface 52 readily slides on the hub inner surface orbore 32 and is guided thereon. The bushing is formed of a flexibleresilient material such as rubber or the like and is readily deformableand as it is compressed between the end plates 44 the diameter of thebore decreases until the bushing 20 frictionally engages the shaft outersurface 28. Also the bushing outer surface frictionally engages the hubbore 18. The slots 56 provide a means for portions of the bushing endwalls 34 to extrude therefrom and the tapered or frusto conically shapedbushing annular rings provide a tapered surface along which the endplate central aperture inner wall moves and literally clamps the bushing20 to the shaft 16.

In FIGURE 4 there is shown a roller assembly 110 having a tubular rollermember 112 with inwardly extending,

axially spaced annular end wall portions 114. A shaft 116 extendscoaxially through roller member 112 in spaced relation to thecylindrical internal surface 118 of roller member 112. The shaft 116 iscoaxially secured within roller member 112 by a pair of flexibleresilient bushings 120.

The roller member 112 has a cylindrical external surface 122 whichfrictionally engages an endless conveyor belt 124. The embodiment of theinvention illustrated in FIGURE 4 is particularly adapted to be utilizedas a tail piece turn-around roller on an endless belt conveyor. Theseturn-around rollers are located at the entry end of a belt conveyor andserve to guide the return reach of a conveyor belt, which is the emptybelt portion of the endless conveyor belt, around the periphery of theroller and allow the conveyor belt to change direction and move on itsconveying reach run, which is the belt portion that carries material tobe conveyed. The belt conveyor turnaround rollers are nonrotatably fixedto shafts that are journalled for rotation in external supports such aspillow blocks.

Referring in detail to the roller member 112, the axially spaced endWall portions 114 are located adjacent the respective end portions ofthe roller member 112. Roller member 112 is constructed so that itslength exceeds the Width of the conveyor belt to be supported and guidedby it. Axially outwardly of each end wall portion 114, the cylindricalinternal surface 118 of roller member 112 has a radially extendingannular shoulder portion 126 formed therein. The shaft 116, positionedcoaxially within roller member 112, has an external cylindrical surface128 and is maintained in coaxial relation with the tubular roller 112 bymeans of the flexible resilient bushings 120.

Each bushing 120 has an internal bore 130 with a substantiallycylindrical surface and an outer cylindrical surface 132. The outerdiameter of each bushing 120 is substantially equal to the diameter ofthe cylindrical internal surface 118 of roller member 112 so that thebushings 120 may be inserted therein. Each bushing bore 130 has adiameter slightly greater than the diameter of shaft 116 so that inassembly, the shaft may be easily inserted in the bushing bores.

Each bushing 120 has a pair of end walls 134 and a longitudinaldimension slightly greater than the axial dimension of roller member 112from each annular end wall portion 114 to the adjacent axially outwardlylocated annular shoulder portion 126. With this construction, when thebushings 120 are positioned within the roller member 112 with one endwall 134 abutting the roller member end wall portion 114, the other endWalls 134 of bushings 120 extend axially beyond the roller membershoulder portions 126.

Each bushing end wall 134 has an annular ring portion 136 formed thereonadjacent the bushing bores 130. The rings 136 have an outer taperedsurface 138 which is frusto-conical in shape and increases in diametertoward the bushing end walls 134. A plurality of longitudinalpassageways 140 extend through the bushings 120 in spaced radialrelation with the bushing bores 130 and are adapted to receive bolts142.

A pair of rigid annular end plates 144 have on outer diameter greaterthan the diameter of the cylindrical internal surface 118 of rollermember 112 and a central aperture 146 which forms an inner wall 148. Thewall 148 is tapered and frusto-conical in shape and substantiallyconforms to the shape of the bushing ring outer surface 138. Eachinwardly extending annular end wall portion 114 of roller member 112 hasa central aperture 146' which forms an inner wall 148 similar to walls148 of the end plates 144. The walls 148 are tapered and frusto-conicalin shape and substantially conform to the shape of the bushing ringouter surfaces 138.

Each end plate 144 has a circular shoulder portion 150 adjacent theplate peripheral edge portion. The shoulder portion has a surface 152extending parallel to the cylindrical internal surface 118 of rollermember 112 and has a diameter substantially equal to that of thecylindrical internal surface 118. The end plates 144 have a plurality ofapertures 154 in spaced radial relation to the central aperture 146 anda plurality of slots 156 which are spaced substantially equidistantlybetween the central aperture 146 and the shoulder portion 150. The slots156 are also spaced between the plate apertures 154.

The inwardly extending end wall portions 114 of roller member 112 have aplurality of threaded apertures 160 in spaced radial relation to thecentral aperture 146 and axially aligned with apertures 154 in endplates 144. The end wall portions 114 also have a plurality of slots156' which are spaced substantially equidistantly between the centralaperture 146' and the cylindrical internal surface 118 of roller member112. The slots 156 and 156 of FIGURE 4 are similar to the slots 56 ofFIGURES l, 2 and 3 and are located in the same manner as slots 56 asbest seen in FIGURE 3.

The roller assembly may be assembled as follows. A bushing is positionedwithin each end of tubular member 112 so that one end wall 134 of eachbushing abuts an annular end Wall portion 114 of the roller member 112and so that the other end wall 134 of each bushing extends "axiallyoutwardly beyond the annular shoulder portion 126 of roller member 112.The shaft 128 is then positioned within the bushing bores as illustratedin FIGURE 4. End plates 144 are positioned at each end of roller member112 with the shaft 116 extending through the end plate central apertures146 and the end plate inner surfaces abutting the bushing end walls 134.Bolts 142 are then inserted through the aligned end plate apertures 154and the bushing passageways 140. The bolts 142 have an enlarged headportion 158 which abuts the outer surface of the end plates 144. Thebolts 142 pass freely through end plate apertures 154 and are threadedinto the threaded apertures 160 formed in roller member end wallportions 114.

The bolts :are then tightened into apertures 160 to urge each end plate144 toward its respective roller member end wall portion 114. The endplate inner tapered Walls 148 and the roller member end wall portioninner tapered Walls 148' conform in contour to the bushing ring outersurfaces 136 and abut the same. The end plates 144 are urged towardtheir respective end wall portions 114 until the shoulder portions abutthe shoulder portion 126 of roller member 112. The shoulder surface 152readily slides on the cylindrical internal surface 118 of roller member112 and is guided thereon. The bushings 120 are formed of a flexibleresilient material such as rubber or the like and are readily deformableand as they are deformed between the end plates 144 and the end wallportions 114, the diameters of the bores 130 decrease until each bushing120 frictionally engages the shaft outer surface 128. Also, each bushingouter surface frictionally engages the cylindrical internal surface 118of roller member 112. The slots 156 and 156 provide a means for portionsof the bushing end walls 134 to extrude therefrom and the tapered orfrustoconically shaped bushing annular rings provide a tapered surfacealong which the end plate central aperture inner Wall moves andliterally clamps the bushing 120 to the shaft 116.

Once assembled, the roller assembly 110 may be rotatably supported bypillow blocks 162 at each end of shaft 116. In conventional fashion, thepillow blocks 162 have bearing assemblies 164 therein which supportshaft 116 and permit it to rotate relative to the fixed pillow blocks162. If the roller assembly of FIGURE 4 is utilized as a belt conveyortail piece turn-around roller, the pillow blocks 162 will be rigidlyfixed to the conveyor tail piece.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained theprinciple, preferred construction, and mode of operation of my inventionand have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent itsbest embodiments. However, I desire to have it understood that, withinthe scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practicedotherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A flexible joint comprising in combination a rigid outer memberhaving a bore therethrough, a rigid inner member having an outercylindrical surface with a diameter less than the diameter of said outermember bore, a cylindrical bushing of flexible resilient material havinga bore therethrough and an outer diameter substantially equal to thediameter of said outer member bore and an inner diameter greater thanthe diameter of said inner member outer cylindrical surface, saidbushing having an end wall with a frusto-conical outer annular ringportion extending outwardly therefrom, said ring portion having an innercylindrical wall substantially the same diameter as said bushing innerdiameter and an outer sloping wall increasing in diameter toward saidbushing end wall, a pair of rigid annular end plates having an outerdiameter greater than the diameter of said outer member bore and anaperture forming an inner wall with a diameter greater than the diameterof said rigid inner member outer cylindrical surface, said end plateshaving slotted portions therein, said bushing being positioned withinsaid outer member bore, said inner member extending through said bushingbore, said end plates being positioned in abutting relation with therespective bushing end walls and with said rigid inner member extendingthrough said respective plate apertures, one of said plate inner wallsabutting said bushing ring portion outer sloping wall, and means to urgesaid end plates toward each other to thereby compress said resilientbushing therebetween to frictionally engage said outer member to saidinner member and to extrude portions of said resilient bushing throughsaid end plate slotted portions, said cylindrical bushing ring portionbeing adapted, upon compression by said end plates, to extrude outwardlybetween said inner member outer cylindrical surface and an end plateinner wall.

2. A sheave assembly comprising in combination a hub portion with aninternal bore therethrough and a pair of end walls, a shaft having anouter cylindrical surface with a diameter less than the diameter of saidhub portion bore, a cylindrical bushing of flexible resilient materialhaving a bore therethrough and an outer diameter substantially equal tothe diameter of said hub portion bore and an inner diameter greater thanthe diameter of said shaft, said bushing having a pair of end walls anda longitudinal dimension greater than the longitudinal dimension of saidhub portion, said bushing end walls each having a frusto conical annularring portion extending outwardly therefrom, said ring portions eachhaving an inner cylindrical wall substantially the same diameter as saidbushing inner diameter and an outer sloping wall increasing in diametertoward said respective bushing end wall, a pair of rigid annular endplates having an outer diameter greater than the diameter of said hubbore and an aperture forming an inner wall with a diameter greater thanthe diameter of said shaft, said end plates each having a plurality ofslotted portions therethrough, said bushing being positioned within saidhub bore with said bushing end walls extending beyond said hub portionend Walls, said shaft extending through said bushing bore, said endplates being positioned coaxially on said shaft in abutting relationwith said bushing end Walls with said inner walls abutting saidrespective ring portion outer sloping walls, and means to urge saidrigid end plates toward each other to thereby compress said resilientbushing therebetween to frictionally engage said hub portion to saidshaft, said cylindrical bushing being adapted, upon compression by saidend plates, to have said ring portions extrude between each of saidrespective end plate inner walls and said shaft outer cylindricalsurface, and portions of said bushing extrude into said respective endplate slotted portions.

3. A sheave assembly comprising in combination a hub portion with aninternal bore therethrough and a pair of end walls, a shaft having anouter cylindrical surface with a diameter less than the diameter of saidhub portion bore, a cylindrical bushing of flexible resilient materialhaving a bore therethrough and an outer diameter substantially equal tothe diameter of said hub portion bore and an inner diameter greater thanthe diameter of said shaft, said bushing having a pair of end walls anda longitudinal dimension greater than the dimension of said hub portion,said bushnig end walls each having a frusto conical annular ring portionextending outwardly therefrom, said ring portions each having an innercylindrical wall substantially the same diameter as said bushing innerdiameter and an outer sloping wall increasing in diameter toward saidrespective bushing end wall, a pair of rigid annular end plates havingan outer diameter greater than the diameter of said hub bore and anaperture forming an inner cylindrical wall with a diameter greater thanthe diameter of said shaft, said end plate inner wall sloping to form afrusto conically shaped inner surface, said bushing being positionedwithin said hub bore with said bushing end walls extending beyond saidhub portion end walls, said shaft extending through said bushing bore,said end plates being positioned coaxially on said shaft in abuttingrelation with said bushing end walls and with said frusto conicallyshaped inner surface abutting said bushing ring outer sloping wall, andmeans to urge said rigid end plates toward each other to therebycompress said resilient bushing therebetween to frictionally engage saidhub portion to said shaft, said cylindrical bushing being adapted, uponcompression by said end plates, to have said respective ring portionsextrude between each of said respective end plate frusto conicallyshaped inner surfaces and said shaft outer cylindrical surface.

4. A sheave assembly comprising in combination a hub portion with aninternal bore therethrough .and a pair of end walls, a shaft having anouter cylindrical surface with a diameter less than the diameter of saidhub portion bore, a cylindrical bushing of resilient material having abore therethrough and an outer diameter substantially equal to thediameter of said hub portion bore and an inner diameter greater than thediameter of said shaft, said bushing having a pair of end walls and alongitudinal dimension greater than the longitudinal dimension of saidhub portion, said bushing end walls each having a frusto conical annularring portion extending outwardly therefrom, said ring portions eachhaving an inner cylindrical wall substantially the same diameter as saidbushing inner diameter and an outer sloping wall increasing in diametertoward said respective bushing end wall, said bushing having a pluralityof longitudinal passageways therethrough in radial spaced relation withsaid bushing bore, a pair of rigid annular plates having an outersurface, a peripheral edge portion with an outer diameter greater thanthe diameter of said hub bore and a central aperture forming an innercylindrical wall with a diameter greater than the diameter of saidshaft, said end plate inner wall sloping to form a frusto conicallyshaped inner surface, said annular plates having a circular shoulderportion adjacent said plate peripheral edge portion, said shoulderportion having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of saidhub portion bore, said plates each having a plurality of other aperturesin radial spaced relation with said central aperture, said plates eachhaving a plurality of slots there through in spaced relation to saidplate central aperture, said bushing being positioned within said hubbore with said bushing end walls extending beyond said hub end walls,said shaft extending through said bushing bore, said end plates beingpositioned coaxially on said shaft in abutting relation with saidbushing end walls and with said frusto conically shaped inner surfaceabutting said bushing ring outer sloping wall, each of said plateshoulder portions facing an adjacent hub end wall and said plate otherapertures aligned with said bushing longitudinal passageways, aplurality of bolts having an enlarged head portion and a threaded otherend portion extending through said aligned plate other apertures andsaid bushing passageways with said head portions abutting one of saidend plate outer surfaces, a plurality of nuts threadedly secured to saidbolt threaded end portions and abutting said other plate outer surface,said nuts being adapted to be tightened on said bolts to move said endplates toward each other and compress said bushing therebetween untileach of said plate shoulder portions abut said adjacent hub end wall andportions of said bushing extrude through said plate slotted portions andadjacent said shaft to thereby frictionally engage said shaft to saidhub portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,484,752 10/1949 Searles 74230.3 X 2,522,350 9/1950 Ditter 287-85 2,771,502 11/1956King et al.

FOREIGN PATENTS 879,298 11/ 1942 France. 1,023,532 12/ 1952 France.1,180,477 12/ 1958 France.

169,785 9/ 1934 Switzerland.

CARL W. TOMLIN, Primary Examiner.

20 A. V. KUNDRAT, Assistant Examiner.

1. A FLEXIBLE JOINT COMPRISING IN COMBINATION ON RIGID OUTER MEMBERHAVING A BORE THERETHROUGH, A RIGID INNER MEMBER HAVING AN OUTERCYLINDRICAL SURFACE WITH A DIAMETER LESS THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID OUTERMEMBER BORE, A CYLINDRICAL BUSHING OF FLEXIBLE RESILIENT MATERIAL HAVINGA BORE THERETHROUGH AND AN OUTER DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THEDIAMETER OF SAID OUTER MEMBER BORE AND AN INNER DIAMETER GREATER THANTHE DIAMETER OF SAID INNER MEMBER OUTER CYLINDRICAL SURFACE, SAIDBUSHING HAVING AN END WALL WITH A FRUSTO-CONICAL OUTER ANNULAR RINGPORTION EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, SAID RING PORTION HAVING AN INNERCYLINDRICAL WALL SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME DIAMETER AS SAID BUSHING INNERDIAMETER AND AN OUTER SLOPING WALL INCREASING IN DIAMETER TOWARD SAIDBUSHING END WALL, A PAIR OF RIGID ANNULAR END PLATES HAVING AN OUTERDIAMETER GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID OUTER MEMBER BORE AND ANAPERTURE FORMING AN INNER WALL WITH A DIAMETER GREATER THAN THE DIAMETEROF SAID RIGID INNER MEMBER OUTER CYLINDRICAL SURFACE, SAID END PLATESHAVING SLOTTED PORTIONS THEREIN, SAID BUSHING BEING POSITIONED WITHINSAID OUTER MEMBER BORE, SAID INNER MEMBER EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BUSHINGBORE, SAID END PLATES BEING POSITIONED IN ABUTTING RELATION WITH THERESPECTIVE BUSHING END WALLS AND WITH SAID RIGID INNER MEMBER EXTENDINGTHROUGH SID RESPECTIVE PLATE APERTURES, ONE OF SAID PLTE INNER WALLSABUTTING SAID BUSHING RING PORTION OUTER SLOPING WALL, AND MEANS TO URGESAID END PLATES TOWARD EACH OTHER TO THEREBY COMPRESS SAID RESILIENTBUSHING THEREBETWEEN TO FRICTIONALLY ENGAGE SAID OUTER MEMBER TO SAIDINNER MEMBER AND TO EXTRUDE PORTIONS OF SAID RESILIENT BUSHING THROUGHSAID END PLATE SLOTTED PORTIONS, SAID CYLINDRIAL BUSHING RING PORTIONBEING ADAPTED, UPON COMPRESSION BY SAID END PLATES, TO EXTRUDE OUTWARDLYBETWEEN SAID INNER MEMBER OUTER CYLINDRICAL SURFACE AND AN END PLATEINNER WALL.